


call it casual sabotage

by manchestereye (orphan_account)



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe - Fashion & Models, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Cheating, M/M, POV Second Person, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-02
Updated: 2019-11-02
Packaged: 2021-01-18 16:50:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21280025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/manchestereye
Summary: your relationship with dan howell is complicated, to say the least. you love him though. you're sure that you always will, even though things haven't always been smooth sailing.
Relationships: Dan Howell & Phil Lester, Dan Howell/Other(s), Dan Howell/Phil Lester
Comments: 6
Kudos: 4





	call it casual sabotage

**Author's Note:**

> despite the fic being in 2nd person, this isn't a reader insert. you are phil lester in this fic

you meet dan howell when you’re twenty four years old and working as a hotel receptionist in downtown eugene. it’s a tuesday night in december, and it’s pouring down heavily. your three other coworkers aren’t here, so you have to stay here until the people working for the graveyard shift arrive. you’re kinda bored to be honest. it’s lonely when you’re the only one there and all you have to do is check people in and answer questions. you’re also really sleepy, because it’s eleven and you’ve been up since seven am. 

this is one of the many times you question what the hell you’re still doing here at this job since you have a master’s degree in english linguistics. the answer’s quite simple; you’re too awkward to quit this job you’ve had since graduating high school and getting your associate’s degree (long story short, you enrolled in a program that got you free college tuition).

anyways, the man you now know as dan howell shows up shivering and drenched in the rain. you’re shoving a cupcake into your mouth because you bought it earlier that afternoon and hadn’t had a chance to eat it until now. your cheeks flush and you hold up a finger to signal that you need to swallow your food before speaking to him. it’s embarrassing to be caught shoving your face into a cupcake, and by a cute guy nonetheless. you don’t even know if you have the right to call him cute, you don’t know if he’s old enough.

“hi, how can i help you?” you ask him.

he plays with his hands for a moment before speaking. “uh, yeah, my name is dan howell. i have a room here for the night?”

you nod and pull the reservation up on the computer. your eyes go wide when you see that dan’s checked out the presidential suite, but you don’t bother mentioning it. it would be rude and judgemental to do so. you also find out that, yes, he’s legal. twenty one years old to be exact. it’s not like you’re going to pursue a relationship with him, it’s fine if you call him cute. if pj were here, he’d laugh at you for finding a guy drenched in rain cute.

“room 26.” you tell him, handing him the card envelope. “the wifi instructions and breakfast hours are listed on there as well.”

dan smiles at you. “thanks, uh,”

you see him squint to read your nametag. you’ve complained about how small the font is on the nametags several times, but obviously your complaints haven’t been taken care of. oh well, they’re not going to listen to a lowly front desk receptionist anyways.

“phil.”

you give him an awkward smile and he gives you a salute as he heads down to the elevators. you sigh in relief, because you assume that this is the last time you’ll see him and he won’t remember you in the future. on the other hand, you do kinda wanna see him, just because he’s cute. you tell yourself it’s not worth it though, there’s surely other boys that will be worth your time that won’t be limited to a two minute conversation.

the universe lets you see him again almost six months later. you’re still working this dead end job because no one’s responded to your job applications. you’ve applied anywhere you could think of that would accept your qualifications.

you’re starting to wonder why you chose english linguistics in the first place since you don’t want to be a teacher and jobs are kinda limited with your focus.

back to the point, you’re working the graveyard shift this time because pj isn’t to be trusted on his own. fuck pj for being bad at his job and forcing him to be up until 5 in the morning. 

he’s not drenched in rain this time, and his hair is much shorter now, but you’d still recognise that face. he has one of those faces. 

you were on your way back from the bathroom when you walk past him heading to the elevator. pj is looking at you excitedly.

“guess what?” he asks.

you sigh and give him a look. “what?” 

“international model dan howell just checked into our hotel!”

well that explains how you recognise him and the expensive room he checked into. you just thought that there was a model that kinda looks like him and has a giant fucking billboard here, but no, dan howell is really a famous model. it surprises him that he’d choose this hotel of all places. it’s not exactly dingy, but it’s not the highest class of hotels in eugene either. oh well.

“i didn’t know he was a model.” you mention as you sit back down at the desk and clean your area.

pj gives you a look. “what do you mean you didn’t know he was a model? how do you know him then?”

you shrug. “he checked into this hotel like half a year ago.”

pj starts wheeling his chair around to get closer to you. “and i wasn’t there? and you never bothered to tell me about it? mate, come on! he’s daniel howell!”

you roll your eyes. you’re not really caught up in the world of fashion, you wouldn’t know who’s who. “again, i didn’t know he was a model until you told me, and if you like him so much, why don’t you marry him?”

you feel like a twelve year old by pulling that insult, but you can’t be bothered to care. pj seems to care though, as you guys are full-on bickering now. the bickering doesn’t stop until the bell rings.

and of fucking course, dan howell is the person to be ringing the bell. 

“excuse me?” he asks quietly.

you sigh. “how can i help you, dan?” 

“um, i was wondering if you have an extra comb? i seem to have lost mine.” you notice that dan’s fiddling around with his hands again, and you really wanna give him a hug because you know what it’s like to be ridiculously anxious.

you reach underneath to grab the basket of complimentary toiletries and get the comb out for him.

“here you go, sir.”

“thank you.” he makes eye contact with you, and then his cheeks turn bright red. dan makes a beeline for the elevators after that.

you feel yourself turning bright red as well.

you’re aware that you have this stupid look on your face as you stare at the elevator, even though he’s long gone.

“you know there are some cute boys that actually live in eugene and are willing to talk to you?” pj says. you know he’s not serious, you guys are decent friends, but you kinda want him to shut up right now because it’s late and you’re tired. 

“piss off, peej.” you grumble. “i think he’s cute, and it makes him more attractive to find out he’s a model. and you know i’m not crushing on him. i’m not looking for anything right now.”

“alright. if you’re so sure about that, do you wanna go to the club with me tomorrow night?”

you roll your eyes. “sure, why the hell not?”

you and pj get to the club sometime around nine. you’re wearing a bright blue button up, a pair of ripped grey skinny jeans, and some black vans. you look and feel like a fourteen year old emo in this get up, but pj tries to reassure you that for the most part you don’t (the dyed black hair in the specific emo haircut is the part that does make you look like an emo).

pj abandons you like five minutes later when he sees that the girl he likes is here. you think her name is sofie, but you’re not entirely sure how it’s spelt or if that even is her name. either way, you get ditched and you end up sitting at the bar sipping a pina colada cocktail because you definitely don’t want to drive later. 

you rarely go out anyways, you can definitely afford to take an uber.

“are you stalking me or is it just a long series of coincidences that i see you whenever i’m in eugene? well, i mean it’s only been like three times, but still. didn’t expect to see you more than once.” 

you whip your head around to see the familiar model right behind you, also sipping a drink. there’s a glimmer of sweat on his forehead, and a friendly looking grin on his face, and you won’t deny that dan looks fucking killer tonight, and it’s just the club. that piques your curiosity of what he looks like in all of his photoshoots. anyways, the pounding music in the background makes it hard to hear what dan is actually saying to you, so you ask him to repeat what he said,

“i asked if you were stalking me or if it’s just a shit ton of coincidences that i’ve seen you!” dan yells.

you start yelling back at him. club music is way too loud, how do people not go deaf? “i think it’s fate that we keep running into each other and that you remember me. i feel flattered by that by the way, thanks for remembering me. i didn’t know you remembered me.” you’re rambling a little bit, you tend to do that a lot whenever you’re nervous. you hop off the bar stool to stand closer to him.

dan scoffs. “fate doesn’t exist. how would you know?”

you think about it for a minute. dan does have a point, but you’ve always believed in fate. there’s no reason to start questioning it.

“i guess i wouldn’t, but it’s fun to imagine. anyways, no i’m not stalking you. i didn’t even know who you were until my coworker told me.”

dan laughs dryly. “okay, mate. i believe you. i just wanted to strike up a conversation, you’re pretty handsome and fit.”

you cackle loudly at that. “i’m not fit, i’m the opposite of fit. i don’t exercise.”

“no! i meant fit as in hot, sexy. but i mean, you could’ve fooled me. you look like you have abs underneath.” dan smirks. 

you can smell the alcohol on his breath as he steps even closer to you. no wonder he’s acting all confident and bold. 

it’s really sexy. you may or may not feel yourself getting hard down there.

“you sure you’re not just talking about yourself?” you ask with a smug look on your face.

dan gives you a look. “damn, you’re smooth.”

you give him a cheeky grin. “i guess so.”

by this point, there’s barely any space between you two. dan’s the one to close the gap. he tastes sweet, like strawberries and vodka. he’s an excellent kisser, and neither of you let go until you have to breathe.

“what do you say about going back to my hotel room?” dan asks. there’s a lustful look on his face, and you’d be a fool to say no to him.

you wake up with a pounding headache and really itchy eyes. of course you forgot to take your contacts out before sleeping last night. then again, you weren’t exactly thinking about your eyes last night. 

the room you’re in isn’t exactly foreign considering you’ve worked in this hotel for so long, but it’s not exactly normal either. it just feels strange being here. 

dan’s sleeping soundly right next to you, and you chuckle as you remember the details of what happened last night. you’re not gonna lie, it’s the best sex you’ve had in a very long time. 

you quickly dress up before leaving the room, as you’re not entirely sure if he’d be comfortable with you still being there when he wakes up. after many one night stands, you’ve learned not to test it out. 

you’d hope that you guys could maybe see each other again, but one-night stands are one-night stands and nothing more. 


End file.
